Is this Cyanobacteria?

[William]

My betta tanks sit in a little alcove like thing created between my bed, wall and entertainment stand, so its hard to see them from the side or back.


Well, I was giving my male betta tank a good deep cleaning, a very detailed gravel vac [ 200% waterchange, Sucked as much as I could, refilled, sucked some more, ect ect ], scraped brown Diatom algae off the walls of the tank, ect ect.

Well, when I got to the large pieces of rock I have in the tank I found that growing on the back of them was this black slime, It came off easily in a sheet and the only thing I could thing of was Cyano.


However, does this stuff get black? Also, IIRC Cyano is supposed to have a bad smell, this stuff had none as far as I could tell.


I honestly don't know what it is, so I left it alone for the time being until I could post this and get some answers.


Anyways, do you have any idea what this stuff could be?

[Allivymar]

Ewww.

Sounds like cyano to me; mine also didn't stink. See how quickly it grows back; if it starts growing back seriously by tomorrow? Its cyano.

[lmw80]

I did a little research. It does sound like cyano the way you describe it, but since I wasn't sure, being that you say it's black...the only thing I came up with in my research is Film Algae. Here is a description of it from http://www.shoal.net.au/~parkview/algae.html

Grows on the aquarium glass and forms a thin haze. Easily removed by wiping the glass. Considered normal with the higher light levels needed for good plant growth.

[William]

I should mention that this isn't a planted tank and only has a single 15watt bright white flourescent.


hrm, I'll get the rocks out later this evening and blow the rest of the crud of them now that I have a good idea on what it is.

[krap101]

i got a question if algae dies (if it can) will it disappear or will it turn another color and stop growing?

[William]

It will just decay and rot in the substrate until gravel vacced out.

[William]

There was no rapid growback, or any growback for that matter when I woke up this morning..

[Madame_X]

I dunno, William... my cyano breakout was pretty stinky.

Keep your eyes on it for a few days. If its cyano, it'll come back strong.